Many proposals for storing and dispensing moist or wet towelettes have been disclosed in the Patent Literature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,002 Doyle et al discloses a typical example for dispensing a roll of material perforated at intervals along its length to define towelettes. The dispenser comprises a cylindrical container for the roll, a closure for the container and formed with a slit through which the towelettes are dispensed and a cap which clips to the closure to cover the slit. The closure and slit are such that on drawing the moist material through the slit, a towelette will separate from the material after a leading portion of the subsequent towelette has been drawn through the slit where it may be grasped by a user. U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,296 Harrison discloses a similar dispenser with the slit being formed in a portion of the closure at an angle to the general plane of the closure. U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,466 Hoffman et al discloses a variant for dispensing a continuous stack of the towelettes. A thin, plastics membrane is provided for initial sealing of the dispensing opening, until broken for use, and for forming a seal between a peripheral rib on a hinged lid and a channel formed in the container to receive the rib. Variations of the dispensing opening are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,836,044 Tilp et al and 3,780,908 Fitzpatrick et al which have a diamond-shaped opening with a movable barrier member, the towelettes being separate and interleaved in a stack.
These prior proposals while being suitable for non-volatile liquids for wetting the towelettes are not appropriate for volatile liquids such as acetone or alcohol or other solvents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,895 teaches a moisture proof container having a lid with an internal, annular plastics skirt which resiliently seals against a sharp edged annular formation inside the mouth of the container. This construction however is not suitable for solvent wetted towelettes because of the large exposed evaporation surfaces when the lid is removed. The Fitzpatrick patent mentioned above contemplates the use of non-water based moistening or wetting liquids, but is concerned with the problem of dispensing towelettes moistened with these liquids from stacks and not with providing an effective seal for volatile solvents.
An object of this invention is to provide a container, particularly though not exclusively, for dispensing towelettes from a stock of towelette material which is suitable at least for partially volatile wetting liquids for the towelettes.